Is sugar sabotaging your hormones?

About four years ago, I noticed I was getting moody right before my periods. I’d
always considered myself healthy, but knew there were things I could do to improve.
As a functional medical doctor, I also knew that nutrition most likely had a lot
to do with my mood swings. So I decided to clean up my diet, especially when it
came to sugar and refined carbohydrates like pasta, white rice, white potatoes,
and bread.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are best known for their effects on weight gain,
but these foods are frequently at the root your worst PMS and menopause symptoms,
too, especially when it comes to fatigue, cravings, and mood swings. From my own
experience and from the women I see daily in my practice, this one step can make
a tremendous difference. When I cut sugar (and when I refer to “sugar” I mean all
refined carbs, not just the white powdery stuff!), my irritability vanished. Similarly,
patients and friends of mine who have stopped eating sugar feel more energy, little
to no cravings or cramps, less hot flashes, and much more!

Sugar’s effect on your hormones

Sugar not only provides major highs and lows in mood and energy, it can also disrupt
one of the most powerful hormones in the body: insulin. And insulin is closely connected
to all of the other hormones in your body, including estrogen and testosterone.

Did you know women with PMS eat 275% more refined sugar than those without PMS?

When insulin spikes, typically after a meal high in sugar, this can lead to lower
levels of an important protein known as sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG
binds excess estrogen and testosterone in the blood, but when it’s low, these hormone
levels increase. Insulin also increases the production of testosterone, which is
then converted into even more estrogen by fat tissue in the belly.

These effects mean the ratio of estrogen to progesterone (known for keeping us calm
and happy) is way too high, leading to irritability, anxiety, insomnia and more.
And as women reach menopause, symptoms get more intense and can include hot flashes
and night sweats as well.

Instead of NO sugar, think glycemic control

Cutting all sugar out of your life is next to impossible. Fruit, vegetables, and
even legumes have some sugars in them. The trick is to lower your glycemic load.
Glycemic load is an estimate of how much the carbohydrates in a certain food or
meal will raise a person’s blood sugar after eating it. You want to gradually increase
blood sugar and insulin as opposed to causing spikes and dramatic drops.

Simple, refined sugars cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin. But complex carbohydrates,
fiber, protein and healthy fats promote more gradual increases and decreases in
blood sugar and insulin, lowering the glycemic load and lifting the burden on your
hormones.

I have a patient who used to keep a bag of hard candy in her purse. Whenever she
was nervous or bored she’d unwrap a piece of candy and eat it. It was difficult
for her to stop this long-time habit, but she now keeps a bag of nuts in her purse
instead. She rotates between walnuts , pistachios, and pecans to keep her taste
buds interested. This small change not only helped with cravings, mood swings, and
fatigue, but her blood sugar went from 98 to 93 — a significant improvement!

4 ways to balance your hormones and curb the sugar habit

Tricks to lower your glycemic load

Switch from white rice to brown or wild

Replace sweet potatoes for white

Try mashed avocado instead of dipping chips in salsa

Add an extra serving of veggies to your plate instead of the carb choice

There are multiple ways to balance your hormones and ease symptoms of PMS and menopause.
Here are some approaches I use in my practice:

1. Natural hormonal support. Chromium picolinate
is an excellent option for supporting insulin regulation and blood sugar. And for
those uneven estrogen to progesterone ratios, you might try lemon balm, passionflower,
chasteberry, wild yam and maca. We’ve made it easy by combining these powerful herbs
(plus more!) in our Herbal Equilibrium
for menopause symptoms and PMS Solution
(which also includes chromium picolinate) for PMS symptoms.

2. Sugar-busting nutrients. To curb sugar cravings
be sure your multivitamin includes zinc, vitamin C, and B-vitamins. It’s also important
to take an omega-3 supplement. The omega-3s in fish oil can not only help with cravings
and inflammation, but also improve insulin sensitivity.

3. Mix protein, fiber and healthy fat with treats.
Take a look at the chart above for ideas. Also, be sure to include lots of cruciferous
vegetables in your diet, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and kale for added
hormone balancing.

4. Lower your stress burden. This step counts as
a double whammy because high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can disrupt blood
sugar, increase cravings and disrupt estrogen and progesterone balance. I use Dr.
Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise with my patients. Dr. Weil calls
it a “natural tranquilizer”. Here’s what to do:

Exhale completely making a whoosh sound through your mouth

Inhale through your nose to a count of 4

Hold the breath in your lungs for a count of 7

Release the breath in a whoosh from your mouth to a count of 8 breathing out all
the stress in your body

I have my patients do this exercise upon waking in the morning for ten rounds, ten
rounds at lunch and then ten rounds again before bed. There are lots of choices
for decreasing stress, but this is a great first step for busy women.

Feel and look your best — starting today!

Even if you aren’t worried about your waistline, cutting back on or eliminating
sugar helps rebalance your hormones, and can dramatically ease your symptoms. Our
PMS and
Menopause Health Programs both offer herbal and nutrient support, as well
as hormone-balancing diets and recipes, lifestyle tips and free phone support whenever
you need help. I’m the first to admit that sugar tastes good, but my advice is to
eat it on special occasions instead of everyday. You’ll not only lose weight, but
you’ll minimize symptoms and support your health on every level!

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